Chocolate and Vanilla
by Lupin's Mistress
Summary: Hermione accidentally goes into the future where she meets a very interesting sixteen year old, her son. SSHG pairing. Oneshot.


**Author's Note: So I generally don't write this pairing, I do read it though. This was written late last night. I stayed up until 2 am finishing it. I had already been in bed when the idea hit me and I know, because this happens often, that I had to write it because if I didn't I would never actually get it done in the morning. Things tend to run out of my mind after I think of them. **

**Now this is a one-shot Severus/Hermione. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters except for Edmund, Melinda, James, and Lily. I also am not making any profit from this. **

**Summary:**

Hermione accidentally goes into the future where she meets a very interesting sixteen year old, her son.

**Chocolate and Vanilla**

It was a year since the war ended. Harry destroyed him of course and the wizarding world couldn't be a happier place now. Of course he couldn't have done it without the help of Severus Snape. Yes, you heard that right; Severus Snape the foul tempered potions master never betrayed the order. In fact it was on Dumbledore's orders that he killed him. We found all of this out once Snape began duelling Voldemort not letting Harry come to harm's way.

The final battle was an interesting thing, it didn't take much. Many died, yes, but it was just a way to show everyone how far prejudice would go. Of course this is not the story I am trying to tell but you must understand the background before we actually fully begin.

It was a rather crisp and cold October morning when I would be found running through the hallways of Hogwarts. I was a mess. My hair was a tussled mess not having had time to brush it in my rush to get to the dungeons. My scarf was flying off my neck not being tied securely around it. And my books were threatening to fall right out of my arms as if someone was pulling them.

This was just my third week as Severus Snape's apprentice and the first time that I had woken up late. Then again I can blame Harry for this. He was somewhat depressed and decided to come to me to help him get out of his annoyance at the ministry. I sometimes start to wish that Ginny was not a student at Hogwarts and instead had graduated already so Harry would stop bothering me. He does it so well, I'm afraid.

So I guess that in my frightened state over what Snape would do to me for being late for his free period I did not notice the stairs. They were moving, you see, but at the pace I was going how was I ever going to get out of it? I fell.

I shall never make the same mistake again. As I was falling I thought of how much guilt Professor Snape might feel when they found my body. But then I figured he would still be mad at me for having been stupid enough to not watch where I was going.

As I neared the next stair case I suddenly wondered why falling was taking so long and then I fell unconscious.

When I next woke up I was in the infirmary. The clean wall, the smell of disinfectant, and the quietness that the place offered made me blink at least a couple of times.

"Ah, you're awake. You gave us a right good scare, young lady" the speaker was Professor McGonagall but she looked different. Her hair looked to have streaks of gray and she had many more wrinkles. She was older than the woman I knew in her time.

"Professor McGonagall" I managed not making light of the situation.

"Yes, that is me, dear. Now if I didn't know better I would say you look a lot like Hermione Snape, but that can be can it? She's much older than you. What is your name?"

Hermione Snape? What? I didn't know what to think. I admired Severus for all his work, everything he did for the order, and he was a clever and smart man but to marry him? But then what did she mean by that in the first place. We weren't married. "Professor, what is the date?"

"Why it's May 18th 2017" Minerva McGonagall told me eying me. 

I gasped "19 years" I said "but last time I checked it was October 1998. Time-travel, the staircase must have done something" I shrugged not being able to think of any other way to explain it.

"Oh, dear lord" Professor McGonagall said "I did wonder why you were just lying there on the floor" she said "but you have yet to tell me your name"

"Hermione Granger" I said still thinking about her earlier comment about how I looked like a Hermione Snape. I had never met any other Hermione's and even so I had never met anyone close enough to Snape. I was his apprentice and I realized with a heavy heart that it had to be me.

"How old are you, dear?" the headmistress asked.

"I'm twenty" I told her. It was true. With the time travelling I had done in my third year and the fact I started Hogwarts a little later than others I had been the oldest in my year.

She looked at me "you're not feeling strong enough to be around the school anyway. I guess you will have to just stay here for today. I will figure out something to do tomorrow. I shall find you a way to get home soon enough, no need to worry"

I wasn't worried but she seemed to be. I nodded politely anyway to my old transfiguration teacher. She left me there with my thoughts for a while but then two boys entered the room supporting a young girl. She looked to be in her first year and very cute. The two boys looked older. One of them looked very like the girl and I knew they were related.

They both had dark brown hair. His straight and falling a little past the nape of his neck, it fell into his eyes gracefully. His skin was rather fair but it was his eyes which caught my attention. They were a deep chocolate brown. I recognized my eyes. His sister or what would be my daughter had my hair. Messy and bushy, it would become more tameable as the years went by. Her eyes, I recognized, were black like that of a raven's. Her father's eyes, the eyes of Severus Snape.

"You are sure you're alright, Mellie?" the other boy asked.

"Yes, James" she said to him. He was tall with bright blue eyes and messy black hair. Unmistakably he was Harry's son.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to use the spell on you, it just sort of happened" James Potter ran a hand through his hair. A very Potter like quality, I couldn't help but chuckle. It drew their eyes to me.

"Mom?" questioned what would be my son.

I shook my head.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" he came closer and stared at me "you look younger" he frowned "but you can't be real, mom can't take potions, not without endangering the baby. Who are you?"

He was smart, I'd give him that. But then he was my son. He was the son of two very clever wizards. Severus was very smart; a Potion genius as much as he didn't claim it and he knew everything there was to know about fighting the dark arts. Not to mention a lot of other useless junk that would help anyone out in a thought spot.

"Oh, alright, I might as well explain it to you. You are my son. I could see it from the moment I saw you. You have my eyes." I smiled at him and suddenly I felt very motherly towards him.

He watched me as his sister was given a few well chosen potions and put the sleep on the bed next to mine.

"I will be your mom" I said it accepting it because I would be and nothing would change that. I didn't plan to. I wanted to be his mom and even if it did happen with a man that scared me half to death with all the power around him. "I'm from the past you see. There was an accident and I sort of got here to this time. What's your name?"

"Edmund" he said "everyone calls me Eddie though. It was dad who came up with the nickname. You are the only one that calls me Edmund." He smiled softly and I found myself staring at him.

I smiled back "it's nice to meet you. I take it she's your sister?" I said looking over at the sleeping girl. "What happened to her?"

"Oh just a spell James here accidentally, emphasis on the accidentally, put on her. It would generally make her a little mad. So glad Lily knew the counter curse but of course she needed a few potions to fix a few things. Lily's his twin." he explained then.

I grinned to myself "Lily and James Potter" I began to laugh "who is their mother?"

"Ginny Potter." Edmund answered.

I of course should have already known that. As I stared at my son I couldn't help but wonder how he would come about. I mean how did Severus and I even fall in love?

Edmund seemed to be thinking in about the same lines because he then startled me by saying "our father Severus Snape told me once that your relationship was like that of chocolate and vanilla. I never understood his metaphor. He also said it begun because you were late sometime while you were his apprentice. He said that watching you flustered and annoyed at yourself for being late as well as being so messed up did it for him. He told me that he loved you from that moment on"

I felt my heart flutter somewhat. "What's her name?" I motioned to my daughter, his sister.

"Melinda" he said simply "Father calls her Melinda, you call her Mel and everyone else ops for Mellie" he laughed "It's good to see you like this, mum, you seem so less crazy" he continued to laugh "it's not that you're a nut case but that sometimes you are up to some very odd things"

I laughed along with him. James seemed to have left us. Edmund sat down on my bed "so, have you and dad gotten together yet?"

"No" I said "I never really thought we would. I mean he was my professor and he is so much older than me, and he is just so insensible and such a cold man" I had always felt like this. I wanted him to relax a little.

Edmund smiled. "I'll be right back" he said and then ran out of the infirmary.

He seemed like a nice kid, I liked him a lot and I grinned to myself when I thought of the fact that he was my son and that I would get to see him grow up in some years. While he was gone I thought of Severus Snape and I figured I would give him a try. After all I wanted him to be happy and it sure looked like we were going to have a happy family.

It was while I was thinking this and thinking about the fact that somehow the alarm clock not going off on time was a good thing I heard a thrashed sound and I looked over to Melinda. She was covered in sweat and murmuring something.

Motherly instincts or something else came over me but I was at her side in less than a minute and I was pushing her hair back. "Shh, it'll be alright" I whispered comforting her "it's only a dream, Mel" she seemed to stop and then opened her eyes.

"Mom" she whispered blinking at me.

"No, but I will be in some years" I said with a small shrug. She smiled and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I smiled to myself and then realized that I just couldn't stop smiling.

Edmund came back and handed me a small book. I opened it and found that it was a photo album. I looked through it. They were pictures of us, of our family. The first few were of a beautiful wedding. Severus was actually smiling and laughing.

Then there were a few of his arms wrapped around me. His hands resting on my stomach, tender moments of things that just showed to anyone that looked in on the picture that we truly were in love. One picture was rather funny. He had chocolate ice cream on his cheek and I had vanilla. In between us sat a plate of very messy vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

I saw a few pictures of me pregnant and then there was Edmund. Severus holding Edmund for the first time was my favorite picture. The happy smile that spread over his face when looking down at the small bundle, it was priceless and I knew why I would fall in love with him within those pictures.

I hugged Edmund, "I never thought that he could feel or even show his emotions like he did in these pictures"

"You changed him, mum" Edmund said "He's said many times that had it not been for you he would have been the old bat of the Hogwarts dungeons forever." He seemed to have a high respect for his father. "Of course he no longer teaches here" Edmund continued "so you did bring him out of the dungeons" the two of us chuckled at that. Our laughs were the same which led to more laughing.

Edmund left me after a while saying he had things to get done, homework and such and that he shouldn't be telling me so many things of my future and that instead I should follow my instinct with what I would meet in my present time. He was a smart boy.

"You may go" said Madame Pomfrey to Melinda later that afternoon. Melinda just gave me a small half smile and then left. She didn't speak a word but he smile told me everything.

I was feeling much better later that night but Madame Pomfrey told me it was better to stay off my feet. Time travel tired you out quite a bit and what with the fall I had suffered. I obeyed but I felt very bored while lying in bed all day, I wasn't one to sit around doing nothing.

It was after dinner and after curfew and even after Madame Pomfrey had gone to sleep when he came in. He unlike Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall had not changed a bit. He was just the same as yesterday when I last saw him.

"I thought I would bring you something to do" he said with a small smile. That was the only different thing I saw in him.

I could say nothing. He was my future husband and I didn't know what to say. He sat down on my bed. "Oh, but you look just the same as back then. Beautiful, just as always" he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. He handed me a book then "I do love you, Hermione, so much. That's all you need to know and I may be stubborn but know that I will love you, know that if you fight hard enough you might just get me" he grinned "the book will help" with that he stood his hand lingering on my cheek.

His touch was warm and comforting, it was loving ad I wanted more of it. I smiled to myself with my musings and I couldn't wait to go back home. I wanted to see him again.

-

-

-

I spent the next three days reading in the infirmary and then finally I was allowed to leave. The first place I would go was Professor McGonagall's office.

"Come in, Hermione" she said. As soon as I was inside she took out her wand "things, I have always said, happen for a reason and I believe that you coming to future was one of those things. I found the spell. Severus gave it to me when I inquired. He is a great man, Hermione, one I love like a son. Just love him. You'll get frustrated with him and sometimes you'll just want to kill him and tell him everything but don't do it until you know he's ready to understand that you came here. Good luck"

Professor McGonagall sent me back in time to the staircase that I had fallen off of. This time I didn't fall but just waited until the stair case attached itself to a corridor and then I ran down and made my way to the Dungeons.

I was a mess just as I had been before. I looked exactly the same with maybe a smarter head on my shoulders and as I ran into the room he looked up from behind his desk and raised an eye brow. "you're late"

It was perhaps the look in his eyes, that wild penetrating stare that made me realize that I already loved him.

"I'm sorry I'm late" I said "it's just my alarm clock went off at the wrong time and I was running here and I nearly fell off one of the spiralling stair cases for rushing. I didn't even have breakfast and I must say I'm hungry but whatever I needed to get here" I sighed taking a breath.

He kept on watching me for a moment or two and then he nodded "alright, Miss Granger…" he began.

"Call me Hermione" I said "it's my name. I'm not your student anymore."

He looked at me somewhat strangely. "Hermione" he said then. I loved the way my name sounded from his lips.

"Yes?" I said watching him. He seemed to be making a decision in his mind.

"Come here, I wanted to share something with you and ask of your opinion"

We were getting somewhere. He never asked me of my opinion.

When I stood next to him I inched as close as I could to him and I saw a small hint of a smile on his lips. I knew that Edmund was right. From the moment I walked in on this day he loved me. Maybe earlier but this was the first moment he acknowledged it. He smelt wonderful of old parchment and peppermint.

-

-

-

Over the next few months we skimmed around the topic of our relationship. We weren't friends but we were not only acquaintances. We could both feel the tension. Not only the want to be with one another but more than just that.

It was on a late night that I headed towards the kitchens to get a snack that I ran smack into him. I was knocked to the ground on my bum.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking" he helped me up.

"It's alright, Severus" I had begun using his given name which he had not been too happy about for an hour or so before he got used to it. "Would you care to join me for a midnight snack?"

"What?" he asked sounding a bit surprised.

"A snack, you must be hungry. I didn't see you eat much during dinner" I was right and he knew it.

"I'll join you for this snack" he said making up his mind.

We walked quiet together just enjoying walking together. In the kitchen we both had the same thing. Ice cream, it was the perfect snack. He had chocolate. I had vanilla.

"You have some of it on your nose" he said with a small grin. He had been putting down his walls when he was around me. Letting smiles show and being friendly. I liked him better this way.

He leaned forward and with his finger removed the ice cream from my nose "there" he said "all gone"

I grinned at him and watched him. He loved ice cream, I could tell from the way he ate just like a young child. It was sweet, I wanted to just pull him to me and kiss him. I seemed to have been staring at him for so long that he begun wondering why. "Hermione" he said "do I have something on my face"

"No" I laughed gently "I just would have never pictured you eating ice cream like this"

He smiled "there are many things about me people don't know" he said.

"Really, what?" I moved closer towards him.

"The fact that I love chocolate ice cream but prefer to have it mixed with vanilla." He boldly put his spoon into my ice cream and then put the spoon full onto his own place and began to swirl it about. He continued to do this until both ice creams were mixed together. He smiled at me. I took my spoon and then took a spoon full of the mixture and smiled.

"Taste good?" he asked.

"Yes, wonderful" I replied.

He smirked "sometimes you just have to mix them together. Chocolate and Vanilla" he said taking some of the ice cream with his finger and touching my nose with it.

I laughed. "Now you're going to pay for that" I warned taking my spoon full of ice cream and putting it on his nose.

He began to laugh and then took the spoon which had stayed on his nose off his nose. He licked the ice cream from the spoon and leaned towards me licking the ice cream from my nose "there you're all clean" he said.

"But you're not" I offered and then leaned towards him following his actions.

His arms wrapped around my waist after I had sucked the ice cream from his nose. "And now there is none left and the taste is gone" he said somewhat solemnly. He leaned closer and then his lips were brushing distance away. "But now it's back" and then he kissed me.

We were like chocolate and vanilla. Mixed together we made one great team. Alone we were still good but together we were better.

His lips were soft and felt so great against my own. The taste on his mouth was mostly of chocolate and mine of mostly vanilla mixing the two together was wonderful and I sighed when he pulled away.

"Do you want to know something" he said as he leaning his forehead against mine "I love you"

I blushed deeply and smiled leaning forward and giving him a chaste kiss "and I love you" I said with a big smile.

-

-

-

We married a year and some of months later. It wasn't a big wedding but it was good enough. Our friends and family were there. They understood us even thought most of society wouldn't. He was twenty years my senior and yet I still loved him and he loved me and nothing can get between true love.

Ginny was my maid of honor. Harry was his best man. They understood our relationship and stood by us like not many had when we first told them we were together.

I still remember Molly's reaction when she found out. She had always had some strange hope that I would marry one of her sons but that would never happen. I would never marry a Weasley. I was in love with Severus. She was very disappointed of course but that isn't even the point.

Severus asked me to marry him over ice cream. It was suitable for the two of us. No one understood the thing we had between us for ice cream. Some had tried but no one could. I don't think that anyone ever will.

It was a summer day and we were still at Hogwarts. No students, no more noise, it was peaceful. Some of the other professors had already left to visit family or for a well deserved break we stayed.

We were in the great hall eating ice cream from the same plate. Vanilla and chocolate mixed together as always. I was reaching the bottom when I heard the clink and then when we finished I saw it. It was a golden ring with a diamond sitting on top. It wasn't big but it was perfect for me. I looked at him questioning him.

"Will you marry me, love?" was all he said. I nodded and squealed both at the same time and then I threw my arms around him. The ring was protected by magic to stop from getting sticky from the ice cream and when he slipped it on my finger I knew that I would always be his. Not that I hadn't know this before.

I smiled at the memory. The wedding was over quickly and we had both said our bows. We were married and ready to start a life with one another. Not that we hadn't had a life together already but this one would be to start a family and to become so much more involved with the other.

-

-

-

Severus gave up his position at Hogwarts when he began to write his book. It wasn't like we didn't have enough money, in fact we did. Enough so that we never had to work ever again, Severus came from a wealthy family that had left him everything. I too had money from my parents. They died in the war.

It wasn't much of a big thing when he resigned the post. McGonagall was pretty alright with it as long as if she didn't get a professor one of us could take over. I was a full pledged professor by this time.

Severus and I agreed to the terms. Some time one night while eating ice cream I told him about going to the future. He wasn't mad that I hadn't told him before but only glad for what our future would hold. The prospect of someday becoming a dad was something that made him very excited.

When I told him I was pregnant he was the happiest man alive, this was also something that was told over ice cream.

I sat down next to him on our couch and handed him a bowl of ice cream. "Hmmm, my favorite" he said taking my spoon and licking the ice cream from it.

I smiled at him "I have some news" I said softly

"Oh, really, is this about you going to St. Mungo's last week?" he looked at me perplexed. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes" I said with a small nod and a smile on my face. "Sev" I said using the nick name that had given him. "I'm perfectly fine. It's just I'm pregnant."

Severus was happier than any other time I had seen him. He dropped the bowl and then pulled me to my feet. He twirled me around the room with a big smile on his face. It seemed to be contagious because I too was smiling like him.

"I'm going to be a father" he said and then kissed me.

He helped me out so much through it all. Through the morning sickness and the cravings, he never complained once. I asked him why and his answer was simple "you have it harder, sweetheart, you are carrying around all this extra weight and you are constantly with mood swings and you'll be the one giving birth. You let me take care of anything at all that you might need" he was so sweet about it.

-

-

-

Edmund John Snape was the pride and joy of his father from the first moment he was held by him. I remember the joy on his face. He was a father and it was all because of me.

"I love you, Eddie" he said as he handed him to me. "Oh, Hermione, isn't he beautiful?"

I nodded blinking away tears. He kissed the top of my head and I grinned at him. This was our son. "He has your nose, and your lips" I told him "and probably your same attitude about things"

He laughed at that. "Have I told you I love you, today?" he asked.

"No" I said "but there is no need. I love you too, Sev" I replied then.

-

-

-

Love conquers all. I have learnt that much and things do happen for a reason. My going to the future was just that. Meeting my two children then and learning more about their father. I never expected to fall for him and yet I did.

Severus Snape has always been a secretive and mysterious man but I love him all the same. I changed him in a way that cannot have happened otherwise.

He told me once that he never expected to be so happy and in love. He always thought he would end up alone living at Hogwarts and being the evil potion's master whom everyone hated.

I told him that I too would have ended up alone a spinster. No one wanted a bookworm like me. Why would they? To them I was boring and too smart for my own good.

Chocolate and vanilla, I guess he was right. Together we were better and we fit perfectly. He was chocolate and I was vanilla, no one would ever understand how this made any sense to us but it made perfect sense.

**The End **

**Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. The purple button isn't too far away from your grasp. Just click it.**

**Lupin's Mistress**


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